There was common ground on keeping The DickinsonSchoolofLaw in Carlisle. Otherwise, wrangling prevailed as the 199th state House District candidates faced off at Dickinson College last night. Divisions centered on money -- specifically controlling state spending -- and how to rein in health care expenses and rising medical malpractice insurance costs.

Christian Muniz even chastised fellow Democrat Gov. Ed Rendell for a "bad budget" and said Republican leaders passed it "simply to embarrass the governor." Such partisanship has hamstrung government, Muniz said.

Muniz of Carlisle, an aide to State Rep. Jeff Coy, D- Shippensburg, is vying with Matthew Teter of North Middleton Twp., a Verizon sales manager, for the Democratic nomination in the 199th, which covers most of central and western Cumberland County.

Carlisle businessman Dick Suter is challenging State Rep. Will Gabig of Carlisle for the GOP nod.

Last night's forum drew about 100 people.

Teter vowed to be a "vigilant budget hawk" and to bring "cutting- edge companies" to the area for "sustainable economic growth."

He blamed the malpractice insurance crisis on an "ambulance- chasing mentality" and on judges who allow juries to return "ludicrously" high awards in such cases.

Muniz called for "reasonable" caps on malpractice awards and said the state insurance commissioner should be elected, not appointed, to "add a healthy bit of politics" to insurance regulation.

Business taxes are too high, Muniz said, and the state must invest more in site preparation and other elements to attract firms.

Gabig said the best thing state leaders can do to attract business is "to keep control of spending, which will keep control of taxes."

He backed "limited" caps on malpractice awards and urged doctors to help weed out poor physicians. "The medical profession has to do a better job of policing their own," he said.

On the economic front, "the first thing we need to do is to keep the jobs that we have," he said. "We have to be sure that our tax structure is competitive with neighboring states."

As for the law school, Gabig touted his newly introduced bill that would block a plan to move the school, an arm of PennState University, to PennState's main campus.

Teter and Muniz backed that strategy, and Muniz demanded that PennState be made to open its books regarding the economics of the proposed relocation. Suter blasted the law school board for its "secrecy" in handling the issue.

MATT MILLER: 249-2006 or mmiller@patriot-news.com

TABULAR OR GRAPHIC MATERIAL SET FORTH IN THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT DISPLAYABLE

PHOTO; GARY DWIGHT MILLER; Caption: From left, candidates Christian Muniz, Will Gabig, Matthew Teter and Dick Suter squared off last night at a debate for the 199th state House District.

If The DickinsonSchoolofLaw moves to University Park, its Carlisle campus could remain a vibrant learning center. PennState President Graham Spanier discussed the possibility last month of having two Dickinson campuses. Yesterday, school Dean Philip McConnaughay described how the arrangement could work.

McConnaughay said that if the law school's main home moved to State College, most undergraduate law students and faculty would move with it.

Trickett Hall in Carlisle then could become a branch campus for scholars in advanced law and government studies. They would be taught by Dickinson professors based in Carlisle and experts in state and local government offices.

McConnaughay suggested it could be known as Dickinson's Institute of Government Law.

The center would offer advanced degrees to practicing lawyers and government employees and year-long courses to leaders from developing nations.

"We're really talking about an expansion of the law school. We would try to add some depth in government-related activities," McConnaughay said. "I think it would be unique in the U.S."

McConnaughay said he thinks a branch campus would satisfy local and state leaders' demands that Dickinson stay in Carlisle.

"It's true that this solves potentially some of the political uproar over a move. It's equally true that this program could be of significant benefit economically to Carlisle and the region," McConnaughay said.

He outlined his suggestions this week in a letter to the Dickinson board of governors.

Board Chairman LeRoy Zimmerman, who had not yet read program descriptions, called it a ?fascinating proposal.??

"On the face of it, it sounds appealing," he said.

Robert M. Frey, an emeritus member of the board, hadn't seen the letter but said there is no guarantee the proposed programs would attract enough students to sustain a second campus.

He said the concept was premature since the board, which alone has the power to recommend moving the school, hasn't made a decision about Dickinson's future location.

Citing a decline in national rankings and the need for upgrades at the Carlisle facility, McConnaughay proposed a move in November. He said PennState offered to build a $60 million facility for Dickinson in University Park.

The board has suspended discussions on the issue pending its appeal of a Cumberland County Court decision to open board meetings to the public.

The Patriot-News and The Sentinel of Carlisle convinced the county court that the board is a PennState body and should not bar the public and media from its meetings.

If the school stays in Carlisle, McConnaughay said only some of the latest ideas would be pursued.

McConnaughay said PennState would initially fund a branch campus with the expectation it would eventually be sustained on fees and tuition. No cost estimate has been made, he said.

The institute, McConnaughay said, stands to make Carlisle a destination for new, regular visitors.

"It could be of significant economic benefit to the region," McConnaughay said.

PHILADELPHIA Appeals court judges peppered attorneys with questions Wednesday on whether the board of governors of PennState'sDickinsonSchoolofLaw had the right to meet privately on proposals to move the school.

The five-judge Commonwealth Court panel heard arguments on the Dickinson board's appeal of a preliminary injunction issued a month ago by Cumberland County Common Pleas Judge Edward E. Guido.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg and The Sentinel of Carlisle went to court in November to try to force open an "informational meeting" about the school's facilities and location. Guido sided with the newspapers and ordered the board to open all future meetings.

News reports said the law school's dean was recommending that the school move from Carlisle to State College by the fall of 2008, citing a need to expand and concerns about its "languishing reputation."

In Wednesday's hearing, attorneys focused on whether the Dickinson board was operating as a PennState "committee" subject to the open-meetings law, or whether it should be considered an independent body that could hold closed meetings.

Dickinson board attorney Jack Stover said that, far from functioning as a PennState panel, the board was set up as part of a 1997 merger agreement to be a separate body.

"If we're not a committee, we're not under this act," Stover said. Forcing such meetings open, he said, would be like requiring open meetings by the board of a nonprofit group set up to give out scholarships or provide medical care to state prison inmates.

"Why is it so important for this meeting to be secret?" President Judge James Gardner Colins asked. Stover said members had the right to meet privately to communicate freely and that any decision would still go to a public meeting of the PennState board.

"Our right is to decide whether to waive or enforce (covenants)," Stover said. After that, he said, "PennState University decides, and that will be a public decision."

Other members of the panel asked whether a university could create a nonprofit body to handle debate on touchy issues so such meetings could be private. Stover said such meetings could be forced open by the state attorney general.

Sentinel attorney Niles S. Benn said the court should look at how the board functioned rather than what it was called. "I have a very hard time determining that this is not a committee of Pennsylvania State University," he said.

Judge Dan Pellegrini repeatedly questioned how the Dickinson board could be a PennState committee if it was also empowered to sue the university.

"If I'm part of PennState, how can I sue it?" he asked. "How can you sue yourself?"

"Because that's what PennState University agreed to," Benn responded.
Colins pointed out that even if the law school board were to decide to waive all covenants and become part of PennState "lock stock and barrel," the decision would still have to go to an open meeting of the PennState board.

If not, he said, "I think there's the potential for litigation to employ many graduates" of the law school.

Patriot-News attorney Craig Staudenmaier, however, said the open-meetings law was intended to give the public access to not only the decision but to the debate involved. "The process is just as important as the final result," he said.

Benn said he expects a decision by the appeals panel in the next few weeks.

The law school has set up four committees to study proposals to expand the current location, move the school to another site in the Carlisle area or to State College, and how to fund the options. Lawmakers from south-central Pennsylvania, meanwhile, are seeking ways to keep the school in Carlisle.

Dickinson, founded in 1834, is Pennsylvania's oldest law school and the fifth-oldest in the United States, according to the school. The law school, which has about 650 students, merged with PennState in 2000.

Judges hear appeal of law school ruling ; Dickinson wants public barred from meetings

RON TODT

Of The Associated Press

Appeals court judges peppered attorneys with questions yesterday on whether the board of governors of PennState University's DickinsonSchoolofLaw had the right to meet privately to discuss proposals to move the school out of Carlisle. The five-judge Commonwealth Court panel heard arguments on the Dickinson board's appeal of a preliminary injunction issued last month by Cumberland County Common Pleas Judge Edward E. Guido.

The Patriot-News and The Sentinel of Carlisle went to court in November to try to force open board meetings. Guido sided with the newspapers and ordered the board to open all meetings.

Law school Dean Philip McConnaughay in November urged the board to consider a PennState offer to build a $60 million facility for Dickinson at University Park. McConnaughay cited the need to expand and voiced concerns about the school's drop in national rankings.

Attorneys yesterday focused on whether the Dickinson board was operating as a PennState ?committee,?? subject to the open-meetings law, or an independent body that could hold closed meetings.

Dickinson board attorney Jack Stover said that under a 1997 merger agreement, the board is a separate body.

"If we're not a committee, we're not under this act," Stover said.

"Why is it so important for this meeting to be secret?" President Judge James Gardner Colins asked.

Stover said members had the right to meet privately and that any decision would still go to a public meeting of the PennState board.

Other members of the panel asked whether a university could create a nonprofit body to debate sensitive issues. Stover said the state attorney general could force open such meetings.

Niles S. Benn, The Sentinel attorney, said the court should look at how the board functioned. ?I have a very hard time determining that this is not a committee of Pennsylvania State University,?? he said.

Judge Dan Pellegrini asked how the Dickinson board could be a committee if it could also sue the university.

"How can you sue yourself?" he asked.

"Because that's what PennState University agreed to," Benn responded.

Colins pointed out that even if the law school board were to decide to waive all covenants and become part of PennState, the decision would still have to go to an open meeting of the PennState board.

Patriot-News attorney Craig Staudenmaier said the open-meetings law was intended to give the public access to the decision and the debate. ?The process is just as important as the final result,?? he said.

The law school has set up four committees to study proposals to expand the current location, move the school to another site in the Carlisle area or to State College, and to study how to fund the options.

Dickinson, founded in 1834, is Pennsylvania's oldest law school. The law school, which has about 650 students, merged with PennState in 2000.